When I said Forever, I Meant It
by beautifulluckyaura
Summary: 7 months after Bb's discovery of Tara, Raven brings him back to reality. Six months later, their relationship begins. Now, seven years later, with Raven postponing the confession to the team, how much can be revealed at once? Lemon warning.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N… Ran out of ideas for "the gift of poison" so I'm working on a bbxrae fic to fill my time till inspiration strikes. **

**Garfield "Gar" Mark Logan= Beastboy/Changeling  
Koriand'r "Kori": Starfire  
Richard "Dick" Grayson/Nightwing: Robin  
Victor Stone: Cyborg  
Deathstroke: Slade. Why they call him by his REAL first name in the T.V. Series, I shall never know.**

Beastboy snuck out of Raven's room, wearing nothing but his boxers, making sure to avoid the cameras around the tower by slipping into the form of a mouse and going through the blind spots. He knew no one but himself and Raven, whom he'd left meditating above the messy, unmade bed, were up and about. It was three o'clock in the morning. He had been at this long enough to know that he had just enough time to get into his room, flop onto his top bunk, catch some shut-eye, and marvel at his lover's influence over him before Richard(or Dick, as everyone preferred to call Nightwing), would wake everyone to train.

After he had met Tara, the shadow of his ex-girlfriend, he had moped for months. None of the Titans seemed to know what to do for him, about him, or with him. Well, they didn't know what they could do without compromising themselves. Eventually, however, the resident empath and telepath had become overly frustrated with the negative products of constant contact with him, and, in her awkward, odd manner, decided to comfort him. She came into his room, even messier than it was before, and stood next to the bottom bunk of his bed, looking up at him.

**Flashback**

"**Beastboy?" she called, almost shy, though her face would never betray that.**

**The boy rolled over, looking at her with sad eyes.**

"**Are you alright?" she asked.**

"**I'm fine." He rolled over, shifting into a dog as he did so.**

"**Beastboy, I shouldn't have even asked. You aren't alright. You've lost weight, which I thought was impossible, you never show up to training, you don't leave your room unless there's an alarm blaring in your ear, you're sluggish, you don't talk, don't play video games, and your room has gone from a garbage dump to a radioactive hazard."**

**The green hound growled.**

"**Beastboy, look around. You need to move on. We all have. She…needs her own life. Perhaps she realized that her powers were her ultimate downfall… either way, you need to get up. I'll even play video games with you."**

**Beastboy rolled over in shock, landing in moldy pizza as he fell off his bed, transforming back to human as he fell. "Ugh! Gross!"**

**Raven raised one eyebrow.**

"**I'll play video games with you after we clean your room," she said, her lip curling with disgust as she looked around.**

**Beastboy eyed her, scrutinizing her motive, wondering if she was telling the truth. "Where do I have to start?" he asked.**

"**You pick up all the food, food wrappers, and anything else related to food, alright?" Raven started, looking around some more, noticing that his closet had opened and everything had fallen out.**

"**Got it."**

"**I'll pick up all the clothes, then all torn, broken, or useless paper, books, or toys."**

"**Alright."**

"**Lastly, I'll cast a spell to organize everything."**

**END**

Now, as he looked around his room, he was amazed he'd kept his room clean. Raven would come in here and manage his mess weekly, much as she had the first day, though now she simply sat on the now-clean bottom bunk, read a book, and told him what he needed to do, and after she'd play one video game with him. The first day had been hectic, with Beastboy salvaging many things from his past that Raven considered junk, and Raven trying to get Beastboy to realize that some of these things were unnecessary. Finally, his room had been cleaned, with four completely full trash bags outside his door. He had a picture of his parents and him when he was younger on the dresser, followed by a Doom Patrol "family photo". There was also a photo of the Teen Titans, including all honorary members.

Beastboy stared at his ceiling for a while. His relationship with the resident witch of the tower hadn't started instantly after that, but his old crush for her had gotten stronger. It had taken six months for him to get the courage to do anything about this crush, and then all he could do was kiss her, then blush profusely along with her as the window/monitor combination in the living room shattered, followed by a scream from Starfire and a "Aw, hell NO!" from Cyborg.

From then on, their little relationship had taken off secretly. Of course, in order to keep her powers in control, Raven had to meditate even more frequently, but soon, her robes began to lighten of their own accord. Knowing what that meant made BB very proud, and he could often be found watching her from the corner of his eye.

Years had passed since that first kiss. The "Teen" had been dropped from their group name. Cyborg's mechanical body parts had been replaced. Starfire now wore an even skimpier outfit consisting of a one piece that had seemed to have been sliced by a knife, which became necessary as it was realized that certain moves could cause her outfit to snag or catch fire, even if the new outfit made men look more than twice. Robin, or Dick, as Gar and most of the team had come to call him, had given up the stoplight outfit and began to move under the guise of Nightwing, complete with hair even longer than his girlfriend's. Beastboy now wore a larger version of his older uniform, though without gloves and with sleeves that only reached his forearms. Raven had just added a long skirt with slits on either side to her now white uniform, though now she filled out the leotard with much more curves. Fortunately for Beastboy, no one but him ever got to truly admire those curves, as the cloak always got in the way.

Beastboy settled back into his pillows, smiling as he remembered that a few nights ago, Raven and he had spent the night in his room. He could smell her all over his room, and the scent comforted him. Slowly, he dosed off, rolling over and spooning his pillow.

Somewhere across town, in a remote, secure warehouse, a black form melted up through the floor, revealing a tall, male form wearing a cloak. Nothing under the cloak could be seen except for two black eyes flickering over everything around him. He grabbed what he was there for, a computer chip, a data key, and a laptop from the desk of a large office, and turned. Muttered words could be faintly heard, and everything he had in his hands disappeared, a smirk appearing on his pale face as he looked around, pulling his hood down further before stalking past an infra red alarm.

"Time to greet my little sister," he hissed under his breath before flashing his hand in front of the sensor. A camera to his left activated as the silent alarm sounded throughout every police station in town, and through the alarm at Titans Tower. He threw back his hood and turned to the camera, waving twice with a smirk before flipping it off.

"Good morning, dear Raven!" he thought, before pulling his cloak over to cover himself once more and melting back into the floor

Beastboy woke with a start, jumping out of bed and pulling on his uniform. He ran out of his room to meet Raven, who acknowledged him. They both watched everyone else pass by them before he grabbed her hand and squeezed it for a moment before running out of the hallway and into the common room. Raven melted through the floor and appeared next to Robin before Beastboy reached the end of the hallway.

"Titans, GO!" Nightwing yelled, before running out into the garage and jumping onto his cycle.

"We need a new catchphrase," Cyborg mumbled.

The Titans arrived outside of the security office of the recently burglarized hi tech warehouse. Nightwing walked in with an air of authority and wanted to know what the security group had found. They showed the tape reluctantly.

"Why didn't any other alarm go off?" Nightwing asked. "Why didn't any other camera activate?"

"They're all controlled by motion sensors," the guard replied. "We assume he came the same way he went, like Raven transports herself, by turning herself into a non-solid form."

Nightwing flashed a look at Raven, who was glaring murderously at the screen.

"We'll try to catch this guy. Don't worry. For now, we're going to go home and review the footage. Keep us updated."

The team went back to the tower, where Nightwing called Raven into his room.

"You know him?" he asked her.

"He is none of your concern. He will be dealt with soon, and much more harshly than you can hope to," she hissed.

"Don't go four-eyed. We'll all get him. There has to be a way to contain him, just as there are ways to contain you," Nightwing reasoned.

Raven nodded before turning around and heading to Beastboy's room, her expression changing from one of anger to one of worry.

She came in to see her boyfriend lying across the bottom bunk, a Game Station Portable in his hand. He looked up as she came in. "Why the long face, Rae?" he asked.

Raven glared. "Ra-ven, _Garfield, _Raven. Get it right."

"Ouch," he laughed. "You called me Garfield. Alright, _Raven, _why the long face?"

Raven hovered in the middle of his room, sitting Indian style, her hands on her ankles. "It's nothing I can't handle," she said. She gave him a slight smile, then fell to stand on the floor, she climbed into the bottom bunk and laid next to him.

"Alright…" he muttered, not quite believing her. After years of being together, they no longer had awkwardness between them, and Raven had become comfortable around him, physically, emotionally, and mentally.

Raven kissed him lightly on the cheek, and Beastboy reached over with one hand to plant one on her mouth. Soon, Raven was lying on top of him, her cloak lost somewhere on the other side of the bed, her legs on either side of him, and BB was enjoying every minute of it.

He rolled her over and began to run his hand up and down her left side, from hip to the spot right below her breast. Raven began to pull the shirt over his head, then pulled his pants down over his hips. He kicked them off while he unzipped the dress and pulled it off of her. He rolled on top of her and began to rub the area between her thighs.

Raven gasped, leaning back and bucking involuntarily. She moaned as Beastboy slid his fingers into her, still kissing her collarbone and neck. He pulled back, positioned himself, and slid in, moaning a bit as he did so.

About an hour later, the two were lying tangled up together under the covers on the bottom bunk of Gar's bed. Gar was playing with his GSP while Raven watched.

"Hey, do you think we'll ever tell the Titans we're dating?" he asked.

Raven sighed. "It might cause… conflicts. I suppose it's possible… but let's catch this guy before it comes out…"

She always said that. "Let's catch one more villain, just in case they don't want us around any longer," and Beastboy accepted that. Frankly, he was ready for them to know. He was ready to be kicked out of the tower. They'd all gotten degrees in something. He'd ask for a holo ring and ask Raven to marry him, and he'd accept whatever she decided. He had a ring and the deed to a house in the city hidden in his underwear drawer. He was twenty-three. He'd always thought they'd find a cure for the green-ness by now. He wouldn't give up his crime-stopping life, and he was sure neither would Raven, but he was ready to start something new.

He sighed and looked at her. "I'm giving us a week," he said. "I'm tired of waiting, Raven. We've been waiting for… how long now?"

Raven sighed. "We started dating at sixteen so…"

"Seven years. Raven… I'm done waiting."

Raven nodded, muttered something under her breath and was dressed again, and put her head on his chest. "Alright."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I didn't expect that many people to favorite, review, or follow my story just yet. Just to warn you, I tend to speed update at first, and then slow to once or twice a week. I used iBox because, obviously, using iPod would completely ruin the change the name and keep it the same nature of the cartoon series. Look at Game Station for example. :-D**

**Chapter 2**

In the middle of a dark room, a man wearing a black cloak sat, legs crossed, staring at the things in front of him. A computer, a series of computer chips, some duck tape, and some unrecognizable alien device. In his hand he held a mirror.

The male smiled, baring fangs and chuckling lowly in his chest. "Let us see how your friends take this, my dear little sister…" he said.

Raven woke with a start, sitting bolt upright and smacking Beastboy as she did so. Her brother was planning something, and that something involved her friends. She turned to apologize to the green man next to her, and rolled her eyes. He was quite the sound sleeper. He hadn't even woken up.

Raven slipped off the top bunk and touched down lightly on the ground, turning to make sure Beastboy was still asleep. She walked over to his dresser and pulled on her cloak, uncovering the clock as she did so. It was two o'clock in the morning. Sighing, she melted through the floor of his room, falling through the ceiling of hers, and plopping on to the bed.

She began to listen to her iBox, which was filled with her guilty pleasures: rock. Before Beastboy, Raven hadn't had an iBox, and the only music she listened to had been used for meditation. Unfortunately, or fortunately, depending on how you look at it, she had bumped Beastboy's iHouse and caused a song by an energetic rock band to start playing. From that day forward, she'd been hooked.

Leaning back, Raven stared at her ceiling blankly. Of all the years that he could have shown up, he shows up now. Not before the end of the world, when she could've destroyed him as well, then created a world without him, but years after, when there was nothing she could do but fight him and hope her friends, and her lover were too badly injured. She sent up a silent prayer to whatever deity was out there, and thanked her old master for teaching her that there is no way to know, even as a "demon" what was wrong and right in theological terms. Perhaps one "God" was simply another benevolent deity.

So she sat there, prayed to whatever was out there for deliverance and aid, pulled out the ear buds of her iBox, and began to meditate. A deep breath in, softly spoken words, a soft exhale, a deep breath in, softly spoken words, an exhale… the process continued.

Nightwing watched the tapes over and over. Raven knew this male, knew something about him, and thought that the Titans could not handle it. She believed that someone else would interfere, and while he was sure she was right, it made him feel inferior. His team wasn't good enough, it seemed, to deal with something that Raven believed would be dealt with soon. Nightwing also worried about _who _would be helping them with the "threat." If the people who came to their aid were hostile, and as powerful as Raven seemed to believe them to be, then they could pose a great threat to not only the Teen Titans, but Earth as a whole. Societies, even human ones, often did more damage than repairs when they believed a "backwards," "inferior," or "needy" society could benefit from their "help." He didn't want to have to go back to school and learn a new language just to survive.

Nightwing began to search legal databases, trying to find other odd occurrences that had similar characteristics as this one. He found more than he'd expected to find. Raven had been right. All of the previous offenders had been punished, more quickly and more severely than he'd thought possible: they'd all had their hands and legs tied and had been burned alive, usually with some unidentifiable fluid. Always, every item that had been stolen or broken would be returned and/or repaired for the owner. Always, a brief note, written in elegant script in silver or gold ink, would apologize to the police, the companies, and the civilians who had been harmed in these "brutal attacks caused by a brief security mishap."

Nightwing sighed, pushed the keyboard away from him, and stood, striding out of his bedroom door and down to Starfire's. He needed someone to bounce ideas off of, and Star, for all of her faults, was an excellent listener.

The male wandered through downtown, blending in with the other people around him who were dressed in clothing just as dark and outlandish as his own. One female walked past him with more metal in her lips, nose, eyebrows, and ears than he had on him in weapons. Thinking of weapons, he gently ran his hand along the blade hidden nicely under his cloak. He knew what he needed to do. He needed to get his sister's attention. He needed to follow his master's orders. He needed to bring the demons who had died in his sister's rebellion their revenge.

He stalked silently through the milling crowds and into the central park of the city, his first target was a bit to the left of the central fountain. He found a young couple kissing under a weeping willow, a beautiful picnic spread out for them. In the back of his mind, he realized the irony of the tree's name, but refused to think about anything other than the blade at his hip. He took a deep breath in, still unnoticed by the preoccupied "loving" couple, and struck, slicing through both jugulars in two quick, even movements that he had calculated while they were kissing, and executed when they both had to come up for air. Neither had screamed, and this area of the park wasn't frequented often. He moved on, killing more people in unpopular areas as he went through, sometimes using a dagger and spells to make his killings silent.

He never thought twice, he acted on auto pilot, and for his last move, he moved toward the playground. Master had ordered him to kill one child, but he was not heartless, already he could feel the pain in his heart, his head, and hear his sword crying out in anger from his hand. He could not kill an innocent, so he instead killed one of the mothers, throwing her into the center of the playground with a blue ribbon tied around her wrist, a message for his dear sister. As he spelled himself back "home" before anyone could get too great of a look at him, he thought fearfully of the punishment that Master would hit him with. He braced himself for the impact of his Master's whip, fists, boots, and blade against his flesh, and he also braced himself for the punishment he would give himself.

The problem of being an empath and a killer was that you felt as your victim did in the last moments of their life. Tonight, during his meditation, he would make sure he would never forget the pain of the people he'd slain. A criminal, a thief, a mercenary, and an outright bastard he may have chosen to be, but being a killer had never been pleasurable to him.

_At least the pay is good._

Beastboy walked down to Raven's room, knocking on the door lightly, and opening it when he was sure she knew he was there. He found Raven with her back to the door, staring out the open windows and into the bay, watching as gulls and swimmers and boats and other day-to-day objects went about their business.

"Raven, are you alright? You seemed spooked yesterday…" he trailed off, his eyes softening as he saw her nod, even though she knew he could smell the tell-tales of her worry, and just a tinge of fear. That was his girl, refusing to admit weakness, even to him, unless she deemed it necessary. He chuckled a bit. "That's a lie, but whatever. Do you want to go get some lunch? It is mid-day, and you know how business slows about an hour from now. It'll give you time to read and meditate and do anything else you need to do."

Raven looked over at him, smiled, and nodded. "Lunch sounds great. How about that café downtown? I know you love that they have a vegan menu."

Beastboy smiled and nodded, then reached out to touch her cheek. As soon as his fingertips ghosted over the soft skin, the blaring alarm and flashing lights made him jerk his hand back and turn to the door. He grabbed Raven's hand distractedly, pulling the somewhat stunned girl behind him as he sprinted for the common room. Not once did he think to pull his hand away from her. Not once did she think to grab a cloak as they rushed through her door. Not once did either of them think of the reaction the team would have seeing a "half-naked" Raven (at least by Raven's standards) with slightly plumped red lips and her hair still mussed from the night before, holding hands with a Beastboy with equally plumped lips and even messier hair.

Such is the comfort with each other they'd found in love: they'd both forgotten the discomfort they felt when in the presence of others.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

He could feel Raven. He was nowhere near her, yet he could feel what was going on. He knew she'd somehow gotten herself in trouble. He smiled at that thought. His perfect half-sister, the one who sacrificed so much to save this… this shithole, this wasteland, for love of it, for love of the lives in it, for the love of her friends, and still, his father preferred to identify her as his daughter before identifying **HIM** Shyama. The monks of Azarath chose to shelter **her **and her mother, not him, not his poor mother. No! His mother died protecting him from the stupid humans. She had been raped, and yet she still valued his life. She still tried to love him. She did love him.

He'd show them. He was worth acknowledgement. He was worth effort. He was worth love. He was worth respect.

Trigon had said, "I respect Raven. I respect her for her sheer power, which you lack. To have the power, the courage, and the will to shove me out, to scheme and defeat me, when I took so much from her. Even in a weakened, saddened, odd little form, she held more power than you, my son. You serve your purpose. You serve your purpose well, but your sister… Raven exceeds what is called for from her, even if she does the opposite of what we all expected of her."

And so, Shyama would be sent on another errand for the court. Baby-sitting full demon "children." Don't complain when they burn you, when they rip through your flesh. Learn to heal yourself. Go walk Cerberus. Don't touch the river Styx. Don't cross paths with any of the greater demons. Get out of my way. Go provide a distraction elsewhere.

He'd use Raven's little weaknesses against her. He'd utilize chinks in her armor. He'd start with the green pest. Then move to the orange flying-girl, then Nightwing, then Cyborg. He'd end with her. Their deaths would be her torture.

He felt Raven's heart skip a beat, and his mind returned to the present.

He had to wait, and so he would. He'd wait for as long as necessary.

And hey, getting paid to do it by one of the humans he was going to destroy when this was all over wasn't all that bad either. Who knew idiot corporation owners would pay him to bring down rivals AND the Titans?

Raven's mind processed the facts as she and Changeling burst into the common room. She saw Starfire's eyes light up. She saw Nightwing's confusion. She saw Cyborg about to laugh. She processed that this, Changeling and herself being together, had been expected by Cyborg and Starfire. She also knew that Nightwing would be angry, not remembering that he had dated Starfire, not remembering who else on the team, whether honorary or truly a member, he'd dated. He'd even forget that he'd blessed Cyborg dating Bumblebee. That he'd sanctioned Gar's relationship with Tara when she'd been here. He'd only remember getting very angry when Raven had dated Jericho. He'd remember he'd been angry any time she'd dated anyone but himself. He'd be jealous. Of course, their short "relationship" had consisted of six dates before Raven told him she loved him, but not the way that he wanted.

Of course, their relationship had also been secretive, unlike the other relationships she had had. Unlike this one was about to become. At least this one had been a well-kept secret till now, and that still trumped each of Nightwing's relationships by years. All of his "secret relationships," which everyone had known about, had lasted no more than 6 months. Her relationship with him lasted two months. Two months of hell.

She'd have to remember to use that argument.

Gar looked around, confused for a few seconds. He blushed lightly, turning his skin and odd, darker shade of green before he looked into her eyes, shrugged, pulled her closer to him, and squeezed her hand. He looked at the group. Nightwing's eyes blazed at him from beneath thick brows and the dark mask.

Changeling felt a growl start deep in his chest. He couldn't truly help it, with the way that Robin had treated Raven before and after they had dated, and he couldn't simply ignore the possessive edge he felt toward his love, but he couldn't blame Nightwing for being angry that he'd stolen his ex. At least Nightwing still treated Raven with respect, he supposed. He could imagine that Nightwing could be a jerk toward his ex-girlfriends, and that he could hold a grudge even through the transition from Robin to Nightwing.

Nightwing looked surprised for a few seconds, debating whether he was angry or disappointed. He chose angry. He opened his mouth, about to scream at the blushing, giggling (Raven? Giggling? He'd striven for two months to get her to giggle!)couple. Raven's eyes narrowed, her giggle stopping, just for a second. His mouth slammed shut, and he found he could no longer move it. He growled.

"Look, Robin, I've been dating Beastboy for six years. Without your permission, without your knowledge, and we've definitely trumped your record. How can you complain?" Raven took a breath in, releasing Robin, mostly because it felt wrong to bind a non-criminal, much less a friend.

Robin glared at Gar, then punched him once in the face. "That's for asking out someone I see as a sister."

Cyborg's head turned to face Nightwing. "A sister? You dated your sister?"

"It took me a while to figure out why I was so attached…" Cyborg began to laugh. "LEAVE ME ALONE!"

Gar got up, grinning at Raven. "Well, that went better than planned."

"Well, that's just sweet, friends, but we must be leaving to reach the warehouse!" Starfire said, flying about.

Everyone shrugged, turning toward the door.

"Ti-" Nightwing began, before STANKBALL wrapped in Raven's power slammed him in the face.

"Come on, guys, let's just go," Raven said.

Starfire giggled and followed her out, the boys just staring at the door, helping Nightwing up. By the time they got to the car, Raven was in the driver's seat, waiting. Soon, they were all sucked through Raven's teleporter and landing in front of the warehouse.

"Raven is the best driver ever!" Starfire squealed.

Everyone rushed inside, meeting the police to find out everything they could. It was a simple burglary, the teenagers who committed the crime were found not far away, and the team returned home.

Raven and Changeling parted ways, fully intending to meet up later to clean his room and, later, to go to bed.

Changeling heard his door close behind him, and reached for his cell phone. He knew, after six years, what Raven's favorite restaurant was, and after a nice date with great food, he'd take her to the theatre, and then to the park, where he'd (hopefully) have the courage to propose.

Meanwhile, in the bathroom, Raven sat on the sink, two little white sticks in her hands. She stared at the little, mockingly innocent display window, her feet swinging back and forth as her eyebrows furrowed.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I know not many people like, or read these, so I try not to put them often or make them long: I'm sorry it took so long to update. That is all. Thank you. :D**

Chapter 4

Raven nearly cried when there were two lines on the little screens. She double checked the box. Once. Twice, before glaring at her abdomen.

"You couldn't wait another year? You couldn't wait a week?" she asked it, silently. She knew she had sensed a little life. She just… had hoped she was wrong.

Raven sighed. "Alright. We'll tell 'Daddy' later…"

Meanwhile, across town, at the park, a cleanup was taking place. A man in a red shirt wearing tan pants walked leisurely past police tape. The police had not warned the Titans, which was good. He wanted to apologize to the princess later, after he'd cleaned up her idiot brother's mess.

He found the place where Shyama had drawn his first weapon. He went along the same path, following step by step. He ended near the playground of the park. Sighing, he bent and bit his finger, trailing his blood to form a small clock with strange glyphs in it. Once the blood stopped flowing, he ran his finger around the circumference, muttering.

The sky lightened, a body was backed into the middle of the playground by a coroner, the body was uncovered. People ran backward into the area, screaming. The body flew back to its feet, and walked back to a bench, where it watched its younglings.

Shyama stood in front of him, under the tree. He tapped the circle twice, it lit up and shimmered.

He grabbed it, moving it to Shyama's back. He started running his finger around the circle, and they began to walk backward, back through his tracks.

Finally, they stopped. "You know, I may not be allowed to kill you, but I can seal you for a few days. And then your sister can decide what to do with you."

And so, he did, leaving Shyama alone, without a place to go.

Gar had just finished making reservations, there was a bottle of champagne waiting in his car, along with a diamond ring, a holo ring on his desk, and a nice outfit hanging up, clean and, dare he say it, ironed in his closet. He was ready.

He looked up as there was a knock on his door. "Yeah? Come in!"

Raven walked in and sat on his bed. Gar smiled at her. "How about we go out to dinner tonight? I've got a reservation at that nice place downtown. The one you like so much."

Raven smiled at him. 'I can tell him after we leave there.' She thought. "What time?"

Gar looked at his clock. "In an hour…"

Raven laughed. "Thank Azar for magic!"

Half an hour later, Raven came down to the garage, fully made up, her hair up in an octopus clip bun, and a black, not too dressy dress on. Gar smiled at her as he turned the car on, and got out to open the door for her. She slid into her seat. "What's with the slacks, white shirt, and the holo ring?" Raven asked.

"Just thought I'd dress up for once. What? Should I go change into my usual T-shirt and torn up jeans? Or, even worse, should I go put on a uniform?" he asked. "And I usually wear a holo ring when we go out! So do you!"

"Usually, the team doesn't know." Raven smiled.

Gar thought for a moment. "Good point."

Raven laughed quietly as the door closed. She looked at the clock. "Shit, we're going to be late."

Gar slid into the seat. "Yeah. I know. But it's not like they'll give our seats to someone else."

Raven looked over at him. "I can always 'drive' like I did this morning…"

"If you want to, love, go ahead," Gar told her.

Raven smiled and put her hands on the dash. "Hold on."

They landed on the top floor of a free parking garage. "Here we are!" Raven told Gar, a slight smile on her lips. She really couldn't manage more and still keep control after something like that. Gar laughed and opened his door up. He walked around the car and opened Ravens door.

"Come on, the restaurant is a little bit of a walk from here." He told her.

Raven smiled and got out of the car. She grabbed his hand and they walked down all ten flights of stairs and onto the street.

They started walking down the street. "After dinner, there's something I've got to tell you," Raven said, looking at the ground.

Gar looked over at her. "After dinner, there's something I've got to ask you." He said, a small smile on his lips. "Me first."

Raven looked over at him. He looked so excited that she couldn't say no. "Of course."

An hour later, they had just finished dinner, and were walking down the sidewalk to their car. "So what do you have to tell me?" she asked.

Gar laughed. "Just… wait a moment. Okay?"

"Yeah, sure."

Gar smiled. They had arrived at their ride, and he opened the door for the girl he was sure was the love of his life to slide in. He ran around to the other side, sliding into his own seat and starting the car. He opened the window and felt the air rushing through the window mussing up his hair. At the next stop light, he looked in the mirror and frowned. It felt weird to be blond and blue eyed again. It wasn't like they were going someplace overly public, he decided. He slid the holo ring off and put it in the ash tray.

Raven giggled.

"What?" he asked her.

"I like it better when you don't have that thing on…" she told him.

Gar felt shocked. "Why? Do you like dating a guy who looks like an anorexic Hulk?" he asked.

"You're a vegan; you're going to be thin. And I like it because… it's you. Not who you pretend to be. Me? I can't pretend. I guess it makes me more comfortable when others don't try to hide who they are…"

Gar looked at her, chuckled, and noticed how she looked awfully green in this light… he turned back to the road and hit the gas just in time to make it across before the driver behind him honked.

"Where're we going?" Raven asked.

"It's a surprise."

Raven turned to watch the road, her eyelids growing heavy. "Okay…"

Changeling parked the car after an hour and a half of driving through Jump City's crowded, weekend traffic. He looked over at his love, sleeping with her forehead resting on the window, and felt bad for waking her, but he couldn't wait. He leaned over and kissed her lightly on her temple. "Rae…"

"Hmm? I'm awake. I swear…" she mumbled. Her eyes opened lazily. "I woke up when you stopped… the… thingy… car… turned off…"

Gar nearly burst out laughing, but used all his self control and held it in. He knew she wasn't at her best when she was sleepy. She had to meditate for a while to get ready to do much of anything. Sometimes he wondered what thoughts she put into her mantra.

"Come on, love. Just an hour or so more, and I'll take you straight home and you can fall asleep on my chest while I eat vegan, boca meat nachos."

Raven glared at him.

"Fine. I'll skip the nachos…"

Raven smiled, opened the door, and got out. "Come on then."

Gar grabbed a bag from the backseat, and walked off a ways, turning around and offering Raven his hand with a smile.

Raven let Beast Boy lead her to the swings at the playground. She sat down and let him push her, leaning back and knowing that if she passed out and fell, he would catch her. Absently, she wondered what he was up to. When Gar got tired of pushing her, he slowed her down, stopped her, grabbed her hand and led her away, to his next spot. He spread a blanket from his backpack over the ground under a weeping willow. He knew that she was slightly allergic to grass, and that all the stalks would be uncomfortable.

Raven sat down with her back against the trunk and watched as her love sat down next to her. Even with her great night vision, she couldn't see him all that well. The nearest lamp was far away, and all the light was caught in the leaves and branches of the low hanging tree.

"Raven, I have something to ask you."

Raven watched as Beast Boy reached into his back pack, and pulled out a small box. _No. He couldn't… this is just too coincidental. _

Gar grabbed her hand with her left hand with his free one. "Raven, will you marry me?"

Raven sat there, shocked for a total of twenty seconds. Gar would know, he counted the ticks of his watch. She smiled, tears welling up, and tackle hugged him. While he held her and laughed, saying "I'll take that as a yes," in her ear, Raven thought about all that had happened lately. In such a rush, even though she knew he'd probably been planning this for… a long time.

"Just… never thought anyone would ask me that, I guess…" Raven mumbled while she pulled away.

"So what did you need to tell me?" Gar asked her, putting the small, silver banded diamond on her finger.

"Well… How do you like kids?" she asked him.

"They're great! But, I think we should adopt if we ever want any."

"Why..?"

"I've had Cyborg do some research into my… green gene. There's a fifty percent chance of my kids coming out with the shape shifting gene. That means that half our kids'd be shifters. I don't… want them to feel abnormal. Besides, it'd be hard to keep track of kids if every time their mood changes, they change shape and run off."

Raven looked at him. "I've been told that I have the same chance of passing on the demon gene. I'd still want my own kids."

"I… yeah… I guess if I was really given a chance, I'd want my own…" Gar looked up at the moon. "Why?"

Raven stared at him. Sometimes, he could be so clueless.

"I have a craving for vegan Ice cream and tofu." She said. It wasn't a lie, either. She'd been craving the nastiest food. She estimated, by the fact that she had only ever failed to cast the contraception spell once, that she was about 2 months in.

Gar laughed. "That's weird. You hate both of those…"

Raven sighed. "You really are clueless, love." She paused for a bit, staring into his eyes when he looked at her, searching.

"No…" he said.

"You ready to be a dad?"

Gar stared at her. "I don't…" He thought for a second, chuckled. "I'll get used to it. For right now I'd prefer the term 'Daddy.'"


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five:

Garfield and Raven were lying in her bed, Raven was asleep, Garfield was staring at the ceiling, awake, with the love of his life, the future mother of his children, on his chest. He had no idea what he was going to do. He had no idea what they were going to do. Defeating her brother? Possible, perhaps even simple once they found him. Marrying? Easy. He'd been ready for _**years**_. Moving out of the tower they had called home for eleven or twelve years? Simple. He had a five bedroom, two story house, a degree, and money from his parents and various jobs and donations. Raven had everything but the house and the money from the parents, as well as a book series under a false name. Having children had never been in the plan for him. He wanted kids, loved them, but not his own. Green children… would be picked on.

"What the fuck are we going to do, Rae?" he asked his sleeping love.

"We will survive." She said, simply. Well, he'd thought she was asleep. "Your mind was in chaos. You have to remember, my poor one, that one of the reasons I pulled you out of that hole you dug for yourself was because I couldn't sleep with all your thoughts in my head. It was rather… distracting."

Gar closed his eyes and sighed. "I'm… so sorry."

"It's fine…" Raven smiled up at him, then frowned. "There are… alternatives to having this baby."

Gar grabbed her shoulders and rolled over on top of her, staring at her, eyes wild, and lip raised in a snarl. "NO!"

Raven growled back, going four-eyed in response to his aggression. "It was a suggestion, since you don't want our child!"

"I didn't want to conceive it!" he growled, his nails digging in. "You will not destroy my cub!" Fur began to sprout over him.

As always, the beast came out when he had someone dear to protect. Like every time someone had hurt Rae. It wasn't something he could completely control, just prevent.

Rae pushed him back, growling, before her senses caught up to her. Her eyes faded, and she began to cry, Gar's claws drawing little droplets of red. The beast smelt the blood, the saltwater, and stopped being… well, a beast. He pulled back and stared at her, fur melting off, Gar left there, straddling Raven, staring at her. "God… aren't we a mess."

Gar flopped off to the other side of the bed. There was a tentative knock on Raven's door. She got up and answered it. "Yes?" she snapped.

Starfire stood in the door way, looking uncomfortable, shifting from foot to foot." I heard growling and yelling from my room… Are your mate and yourself alright?"

"We're fine… just… got a little heated." Raven laughed a little to herself.

Starfire turned beet red, her eyes widening. She squeaked. "Sorry!" she yelled, running down the hall.

Raven blushed. "Wait! Starfire! I didn't mean!" but the air lock door to Starfire's room had already sealed. Raven put her chin to her chest and groaned. "Great."

Gar was lying on her bed, rolling around laughing. "Nice! Now we're going to be the couple having kinky sex down the hall!"

A statue of a knight flew off her shelf and smacked him in the gut. "Ow! What was that for?"

"Laughing. Jerk. Go to your own bed!" Raven told him. She turned around, all glares. Then she saw the look on his face and couldn't help but laugh herself. "We _are _a mess," she muttered, crawling into bed beside him.

Gar looked down at the love of his life, her hair a mess, eyes sleepy, wearing his way-too-big t-shirt to bed. "One gorgeous, wonderful, loveable mess. One that's going to get bigger."

Raven went down for her tea at around five o'clock in the morning, as usual. The only one in the room was Nightwing, covered in sweat and in a karate uniform. He looked up at her, blushed and looked down. Raven shrugged and went to put the kettle to boil. She put her back against the counter and leaned on it. She saw Nightwing looking at her and glanced over. His eyes darted away and he blushed a second time.

Raven's eye twitched. "Did Starfire tell you guys?" she growled.

Nightwing nodded.

"We weren't having sex, sickoes! We were having an argument!" she yelled at him. Nightwing looked surprised.

He sighed. "Thank God. I'd have to burn your room when you guys moved into a single room."

"I'm not saying we haven't before…" she muttered.

Nightwing's head hit the table. "Did. Not. Need. To. Know." He punctuated each word with a strike.

Raven blushed while the tea kettle began to scream. "umm…"

Raven rushed to get her tea and went back to her room, sitting on the chair in front of the window. She began to sip the tea. She saw one of the guard, the ones assigned to handling outbreaks, stop in front of the window, float, point up, and then disappear. Raven sighed, putting her tea down and heading to the roof.

Raven stepped out onto the roof, still in her pajamas, looking for the guard.

"Behind you," he muttered.

Raven turned to find the male sitting on the edge of the entrance to the roof. "What do you need?"

"I left your brother bound in the park. You need to dispose of him. We cannot."

"Half-brother, thank Azar," she told him.

"What does Azar have to do with it? Last time I checked, Azar was not his teacher."

"No, but she was mine."

"Ah. I still don't understand it."

"I know. Are you sure that I have to do it?"

"Yes. It will just take a quick burst of power and a seal… "

"I'm pregnant."

"I… umm… then you will need someone else to do it."

"Who?"

"Someone who is a half-demon like yourself, and similarly gifted."

"So I have to create this someone?"

"You must… wait, then."

"Wait?"

"Until the little creature is born."

Raven laughed. "How will Shyama be contained?" she asked

"I will return weekly to reseal him myself."

"Will you also manage your other jobs?" she asked.

"Earth is boring. Contrary to the humans' ideas, there isn't that much of our type of crime here," he smiled and turned to leave.

"What's your name?" she asked him. "Just in case I have to summon you."

"I'm surprised you don't remember, milady," he muttered. "It's Amyntas."

And with that he was gone.

Raven scowled, then frowned, worry lines becoming evident between her eyebrows. "You became a guard?" she muttered. She turned and went back to her room, preparing herself for everything that Garfield and she needed to do.

She was packing clothing and books magically when Garfield woke up. "Morning, Gar," she smiled over at him.

"Morning, babe," he yawned, shifting into a cat and stretching out.

"Don't you dare tear that bedspread," Raven told him, not even looking over her shoulder.

"What are you doing?" Gar asked.

"Getting ready for Nightwing to kick us out when I tell him that we're engaged and I'm pregnant. Got any ideas on where to live?"

"Well… Actually…" Gar smiled at her. "You see…" he suddenly seemed sheepish, his face turning a brownish pink.

"What?" she asked him.

"I do have a place outside the tower," he muttered.

"So do I. An office, with a bed hidden away in a closet," she said. "But it's not big enough for you and me, and with me pregnant, for some reason I'm beginning to feel claustrophobic. Weird, I know, but the hormones are already affecting me."

"I don't mean an office or a small apartment," he said, rolling his eyes.

"Then what?" Raven asked, suspicious.

"I have a five bedroom house, ready to live in, out in the suburbs. I fully paid for it two years ago, hon."

Raven looked a bit taken aback. She sighed, smiled, and floated him off the bed while finishing packing. "Then what are you waiting for? Go pack."

Gar smiled, walking right out of her room and down to his. He passed Starfire on the way there. She blushed and quickened her pace. "We weren't having sex, y'know!" he called over his shoulder.

Starfire watched him turn into his bedroom. She sighed, relieved, and continued on to the common room, where Cyborg was making breakfast. Nightwing was reading the paper, sitting in his own little corner with a cup of black coffee. She could sense something was going to happen today. She hadn't felt this electrified since Zymone had had her first Argthor, the Tamaranian equivalent of a baby shower. She felt as if an announcement was going to be made, and wondered if humans broke glass by throwing it at a wall, to wish the new mother the birth of a great warrior.

She doubted they did. She sat down on the couch, bringing her legs up under her, and continued to think of all the difference between weird human cultures and her own.

Raven shrank her bed, books, statues, ritual candles, and other possessions magically, letting them fall into the weightless backpack she held in her right hand. She was exhausted at only ten o'clock in the morning, something that never would have occurred before her pregnancy. She looked around at the bare room, the dark blue carpet, the light gray walls, the single window. Even the door into the private bathroom she'd had magicked into her room with the aid of a wizard friend from another galaxy. She drew a symbol on that door, having it permanently destroyed.

Slowly, she walked into the hall, letting her door close behind her. She pulled her hood over her head and face, letting her robe slide to cover her entire body, her pack hanging carelessly from her right hand, and walking toward the common room, silently saying farewell to each memory, knowing she might still be able to help out the team, but that this would no longer be home, and that she and Gar were creating a new family, a new future with every kiss.

**A/N: Sorry for the long wait. I've had quite a few problems over the past few moths.**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: I do not own the Teen Titans. I own a kite. That's about it.**

Chapter 6

Ravens fingers drifted slightly over the rails on the steps to the common room. She stopped just before the infrared sensor for the door, knowing that waiting for Changeling would probably be best, loath as she was to ever admit that she needed him for the courage to go and face her teammates, who had just recently found out she had broken the rules and dated another teammate, and break their hearts again with the news that she was pregnant, that they were engaged, and that, by necessity, they would be moving out of the place they had all collectively called "home" since they were kids. Her heart felt constricted in her chest as she heard the slow, heavy footsteps of her fiancé on his way to meet her.

She waited until Gar was only about a yard behind her before turning to face him; a slight smile graced her features even as the butterflies in her stomach increased the speed of their sporadic dance. He was wearing a t-shirt, cargo shorts, and flip flops. His hair was falling messily into his eyes, wavy, longer and better kept now that he was older. If it weren't for the green skin, he'd look like the average, slightly athletic college senior. He carried two duffle bags, one over each shoulder.

"I should have shrunk your things," Raven thought aloud.

"I'm fine, love. Truly, I am," Gar smiled. His eyes lit up a bit. "Are you as nervous as I am?"

Raven considered her own emotional state for a moment and then entered his mind. He was nervous, but he felt like this would all turn out for the better.

He smiled, "Come on; let's just make a break for it. We'll leave them a note."

"They'll worry," Raven said. Raven smiled lightly. "We're both pretty nervous, Gar. Really, I feel almost like running, but I know I have to do this."  
Changeling nodded, the smile leaving his face. "Are you ready?"

She nodded, sliding her hand down his arm and lightly intertwining her fingers in his. She leaned up to give him a soft, short kiss before turning to walk toward the common room. Just before her foot could trip the sensor, Gar pulled her back to him for what he considered a REAL kiss, bodies pressed together tightly and with all the passion and love he could muster. After, Raven and he just stood there, close, catching their breath. Raven pulled away, a true smile sliding over her face.

"Come on. We don't want to take too long," Gar told her, his voice hushed.

Raven nodded, and they walked into the common room, their bags over their shoulders, hand in hand. The others were too busy to notice them at first. They put their bags by the door, then walked in front of Cyborg, Nightwing, and Starfire who were all watching a T.V. report about an elderly man who had been tazed in a lecture hall by campus police. Nightwing arched one eyebrow at the two. "Yes? May I help you?"

Raven glanced over at Gar. "Well, it's more like we have to tell you a few things. Everything lately has happened so fast, we know… but things are going to start moving faster. They already have been moving faster, really, just without your knowledge."

Nightwing sat forward a bit. "Ok. Now you're scaring me. What exactly is going on, you guys?"

Gar looked at Raven. "We're getting married."

Nightwing shrugged. "Ok, then why are you leaving? We can handle a married couple in a few months or a year or whenever you decide to get married."

Gar sighed. "That's not all, Dick."

"Then what is all, friend Garfield?" Starfire asked, her eyes wide and innocent.

Raven looked at Starfire and smiled weakly, "Star, I'm pregnant."

Starfire jumped from her seat. "Oh, glorious occasion! We shall celebrate with the human rain of infants!"

Nightwing put his hand up to stop her. "As in bringing a small part-human into this world? That type of pregnant?"

"Yes, Nightwing. Star, it's called a baby shower, not a rain of infants. It's not a literal shower. Just a party," Raven was patiently waiting for the blow up.

"What the hell is wrong with you two? Gettin' together, gettin' knocked up, and now gettin' hitched?" Cyborg stood up. "I'm so confused, I think my circuits might fry."

Raven rolled her eyes. "We know! Look, I haven't meditated yet and I'm hormonal, so let's just get this over with. We know, we messed up, which is why we are moving out. We'll still help out the team, if you'll allow it. Beast Boy for as long as he can, and me after the baby is born and old enough to be left with someone else. We do not wish to cause any unnecessary problems."

"Being down two members isn't a problem?" Nightwing asked. His eyes were closed, his brow furrowed, one of his hands picking absent mindedly at the fabric stretched over his knee. Raven knew this was the face he kept reserved for troubled thinking. They had been two of the closest members of the team for a long time, though hardly anyone ever understood that. They were permanently linked, ever since the Boy Wonder had saved her after the end of the world, but Raven did not need that connection right now to understand that he was bothered by all the new information.

Raven closed her eyes. "It is. It's a large problem, but a necessary one."

Nightwing nodded. "Fine. Keep your communicators handy. And cell phones. Will you need holo rings? Money? Anything else?"

Raven shook her head. "We can handle it."

Cyborg stared at everyone in turn, mouth agape, then sighed. "Y'all can have the extra T-Car. I'd say just take B's moped, but you are gonna need a backseat for the tyke. We don't use it anyways; it's not even painted right. Just pure white."

Gar looked over his friends. Cyborg looked sullen, Starfire looked confused, and Nightwing just looked tired. "Hey, as soon as we get set up, you guys wanna come over? It's got a pool and a huge T.V." he said.

Everyone looked up. "Yeah, sure," Nightwing smiled.

"Oh! Friend Raven, we must do the 'sunbathing!'" Starfire chirped. Her eyes brightened.

Raven nodded, smiling.

"I bet I can beat you on the Game Station even on your home court!" Cyborg challenged Gar, smiling.

"You wish!"

"Oh you know I'm right!"

The group continued to go on about what they could do at the house for a while, before Raven knew she had to put a stop to it. "Guys, we have to go," she said, her voice said.

Nightwing looked out the large window. The sun was setting. It was late, they had spent the entire day, free of crime calls, on a long goodbye. "Yeah, you're probably right."

The team walked the couple to the car, helped them to put their bags in, and then watched them leave. Gar drove, one hand on the steering wheel, the other in his hair.

Raven watched her home grow smaller behind them in the bay, her heart heavy. "I'm going to miss it," she mumbled.

Gar looked over at her. "We'll make a new home."

Raven smiled. "You're right. It doesn't make it any easier to lose the old one."

Gar nodded. "True."

She faced the front again, just as their communicators began to alarm and light up bright red. Raven flipped hers open on reflex, staring at the screen. "Titans, there's a robbery in progress at the TechnoGuys downtown," Nightwing said urgently. "Raven, Changeling, looks like you guys got out just in the nick of time."

The communication was cut off. Raven leaned back in her seat, closing her eyes. "I'm going to have to get used to having so much spare time."

"We can survive on the cash we've got until the baby's born," Gar told her. "After, I'll get a job. I _do _have a degree, you know."

Raven chuckled, "Oh yes, I know. You didn't shut up for three weeks after you got yours. If I remember, you only shut up after I told you I had two. Vic has three now."

"HOW!"

"He already took the required classes for basics, just had to take the major classes over again. He's the son of two PhD's, and he had a lot of time on his hands," Raven told him, smiling.

Gar looked over at her. "Oh." The car fell silent and soon, Raven was asleep in her seat, her forehead against the window. "I'll love you forever, my Raven."

Gar pulled into the driveway of the house. There were leaves on the front lawn and the grass was a bit too long. It had been two months since the last person had rented the place, and he hadn't visited in over a month. He'd take care of the yard tomorrow, though. Right now, all he needed to do was get Raven upstairs and into the king sized bed that he had bought with the house. First he'd go in and change the sheets and stuff. He knew it shouldn't be too dusty, but the bed wouldn't be made after so long.

He left her in the car, sleeping peacefully, and went into the house, turning on dim lights in the entrance, on the stairs, the hallway upstairs, and, finally, in the master bedroom. He looked around. Everything was covered in plastic, and not as dusty as he thought it would be. He pulled the plastic sheet off the canopy bed, finding it to be made neatly, and folded up the sheet. He left it on top of the dresser before going downstairs to collect the love of his life from the car.

He unbuckled the seat belt and gently lifted her in his arms, bridal style. Her head fell against his shoulder, her breath and hair lightly tickling his neck, and he walked up the stairs of their new home, laying her on the bed. Gar slipped his shirt over his head and his pants off, kicking off his socks and shoes, before crawling into bed next to her. As soon as his arms were around her, his head on the pillow, he was asleep.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Raven awoke the next morning warm, and was glad for Gar's arms wrapped securely around her middle, his face buried in her hair, tilted to shield his still sleeping face from the sunlight.

Sunlight.

Fleetingly, she thought that they must get up before someone else came in to check up on the resident empath, because, of course, this would be unallowable. Then she remembered. There were no others in this house. Just her, and Gar. This house was a simple, clean beginning, one that they would soon be sharing with, dare she say it, a new life. How in the world could she ever forget? She looked around the room, noticing much of the furniture was covered in plastic, but it seemed nice.

Raven lost track of time. She allowed herself to drift in and out of waking dreams while she waited for Gar to wake up. It seemed to only take but a few moments, but she knew, looking at the angle of the sunlight as well as how bright it was, that it must have been at least an hour before he began to mumble against her hair, rubbing her face against her shoulder and beginning to sit up.

"Good morning, bed head," she whispered.

"You haven't even looked at me yet, how can you be sure I have 'bed head'?" He laid a kiss on her shoulder.

"You always have bed head. When we were younger, you even had bed head after noon."

"It was the style!"

"Mm-hmm… and my leotards and cloaks were tre chic."

Gar rolled his eyes at the back of his love's head. Raven could swear she could feel it. "It may have been a very _popular _style…"

"Ah! So the truth comes out. Admit it, you never were very fashionable."

"Shh! Don't let my ego hear that."

Raven smiled into her pillow, sighing. "What's for breakfast?"

Silence reigned for at least 15 seconds. "I knew there was something I forgot."

Raven giggled. "Food?"

"We can go buy some."

She shook her head, beginning to stand up. "After we get this place set up _and _unpacked." She smiled at Gar, who leaned up on his forearm to kiss her. "I love you," he murmured against her lips.

"Good."

"Now about that unpacking…" he whispered.

Raven sighed. "I've got one good spell left in me before breakfast," she told him, "but you're still going to have to remove all the plastic beforehand." She raised her eyebrows at him, questioning his willingness to do that on his own. Gar groaned and proceeded to get out of bed and go toward the master bathroom, his fiancée watched him go before she flopped herself back down on the bed to wait.

It took Gar an hour to get all the plastic covering off all the furniture and appliances in the house. He hadn't been showing it off, and he hadn't wanted it dusty, so _everything_ had been covered. Of course, as soon as he was done, Raven muttered a few words and everything was unpacked and ready. He couldn't help but feel a bit put out. She just made everything look so darn easy. Nonetheless, tired and sweaty, Gar trekked to the car, his girl in tow, and proceeded to drive to the grocery store.

"Do you even know where one is?" Raven asked.

"We'll run into one eventually."

She rolled her eyes. "You could just ask the car, you know."

Gar's head snapped to face her. "Say what?"

Rae sighed. "Honestly, Garfield. T-Car Mark II," she called.

"Go ahead," Vic's voice responded.

"Where's the nearest grocery store?"

"On the corner of Marianne and Wilson, Rae."

There was a beep, the car had stopped truly listening.

"It knows our names?" Gar asked.

"Yes."

"That's frickin' _awesome!_"

Rae rolled her eyes. "As long as you think so, love."

They had trouble navigating the store without holograms. It wasn't large to begin with, and there was a small, but still considerable, group of fans who spotted them. Pictures were taken. Cameras destroyed by a dark energy and further investigation discouraged by a quick glare from violet eyes. Changeling had to laugh. "Sorry, guys, but we need… normality. Just for a while."

"Ha… years is more like it." Rae muttered.

"What was that?"

"Nevermind."

They got the necessities for their day to day lives. Tofu, tofu bacon, eggs(unfertilized), soy milk, milk, tea, real bacon, butter, bread, lots of junk food, red meat, cereal, and sandwich and salad things. In the checkout lane, there was a bit of a holdup, as the cashier demanded to know why they were here, so far away from the tower as well as an ongoing robbery. Raven just smiled and replied "Unplanned personal circumstances medically restrict me from continued service for a certain amount of time. Garfield and I are setting up here, and then he may, or may not, return to semi-active duty." This was all said quickly and efficiently, in Raven's best "you're an idiot" tone. Needless to say, the cashier asked no more questions.

As they walked away, Gar turned to smile and wave over his shoulder.

"Think she retained any of that?" he asked through his false smile.

Raven scanned her mind. "I doubt it. She's a bit of an airhead…"

"That's not nice."

"We'll be dealing wither her a lot in the near future if we're going to be living here."

Gar chuckled. "I suppose you're right."

It took them ten minutes to get everything put away, mostly because they had to decide where everything went in their new home. After, they ate breakfast. Sitting on the couch, watching T.V., Raven felt a little alien in the fashionably decorated, plain house, made up of its neutral colors. She supposed that Changeling had invited in a professional decorator to encourage customers renting the house, but, looking around, she couldn't feel any of either of their personalities. "This place isn't home." She felt herself sink a bit into the couch next to Garfield.

"What was that?" he asked.

"This isn't home," she intoned. "Not even _a _home, much less ours."

Gar looked around skeptically, a frown forming between his brows. "Well, it hadn't been a home before. Not to me, or anyone who stayed here…" he trailed off, realizing that, for all her strength and logic, Raven was a woman, a pregnant one at that, quickly approaching not only her due date, but her wedding date, when she would be a wife and a mother. Two new titles. She craved nesting, and creating a home for her, for her future husband, and her child. She wanted a home, a place to call not only hers, but _theirs._

"It's sad…" she mumbled.

"We can make this into a home, Raven, we have the cash, you know. It won't run away."

Raven turned to him with a smile. "I'd really like that."

Shyama could still see. He could still hear. Bound to the earth, useless, he felt worse than he had every time Trigon had sent him on yet another pathetic errand, praising his half-blood daughter for her strength and courage, even though she defied him, her Lord, as well as Fate, whilst Shyama had always been obedient, and true. He felt hatred and anger continue to bubble inside of him.

They couldn't keep him bound forever. Eventually, he would be free, and he would have his revenge, both for himself and everyone else Raven had consciously and subconsciously destroyed. The demons who had been killed to be punished for her failure, those who had been ridiculed and compared to the traitor who was praised, they deserved their retribution. Shyama would ensure they received it.

Amyntas returned to reseal him.

"Your sister does care for you, you know," he muttered before he disappeared.

Had Shyama had the physical ability to snort and shake his head while bound in such a manner, he would have.

Gar had decided to leave Rae to do the inspection and planning of the house on her own. He tried to help by pointing something out in the living room and ended up being scared off by her best dead-pan glare. It wasn't a very comfortable feeling for him at all. So he left her to do the decorating. She'd decided she could keep the furniture. It was mostly white or black. She wanted to have the kitchen floors and living room floors redone in mahogany, the walls a pale blue. She'd also chosen the bedroom right next to theirs as the baby's, though they had both agreed to wait until later in her pregnancy to decorate that room, on the off chance that something could happen. Besides, they didn't know the gender yet, and she was worried that the doctor would say one gender for a month, and then another after. Mistakes could be made.

He knew that even though he wouldn't be allowed to choose too many things, he would be expected to do the work. She'd already decided that the walls of their bedroom would be purple, their bed had a canopy, which she wanted white, and the bedspread dark green and brown. She'd seen it while still living in the tower, on one of her trips to the "mall of shopping" with Kori. It would still be a few days before they started fully decorating, but he knew that Raven was the kind of person that needed a plan before hand. It was one of the many things he personally loved about her.

Looking around the house, he could see that there were a few things impersonal about it. The color scheme was rather dull, though when it had been done, it had seemed like the best choice, which it was, of course, for being rented out to others as a temporary place to live. However, now that they were attempting to make this house into a home, it needed personality, grace, and love. In other words, it needed a woman's touch.

Watching as she was contemplating the entirety of the house, even the back deck porch and the pool and yard, Gar knew that Raven could provide just that.

**A/N: I've been thinking this one up for months, but I had a problem with uploading and I **_**barely**_** got out of school day before yesterday. Here we go! I'll have another one up by the end of the weekend, I promise, and I will probably take the Gift of Poison off hold.**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

The following few weeks were spent decorating. The rooms were repainted by Changeling himself, and he ended up white with primer and purple, blue, and red with paint on more than one occasion. They kept the furniture, thank god, but Raven had the bathrooms retiled with Spanish ceramic, and the kitchen redone with white tile floors.

"Shouldn't the entire house follow the same color scheme?" Gar asked.

"Do we have any colors that look absolutely atrocious near each other?"

"No…"

"Then it's fine. Besides, we have doors separating room from room."

He shrugged and went back to painting the kitchen a deep, but not dark, blue that actually made it seem like just a more shadowy, cooler part of the living room. He had to admit, he actually liked the way this room was coming out. It was his bedroom he was worried about.

"Rae, I hate to break it to you, but I don't like sleeping in a Barney room."

Raven stopped reading her book. She was perched on the countertop, keeping off the plastic on the floor and debating whether or not to have the counters redone in granite or marble. "Barney?" she asked.

"Any combination of green and purple," Gar clarified. "Didn't you ever watch children's TV?"

She shook her head.

"Not even when you took care of Mel and Timmy?"

She shook her head again.

"Oh…"

Raven got up and left the room. He could hear the laptop in the living room waking up, hear her breathing and the typing of her fingers. Ten seconds later, the "I Love You" song came on. It lasted thirty seconds, then there was a crash, and Raven came in looking horrified. "We need a new laptop."

Gar laughed and rested his forehead against the counter top. "That bad?"

"Our children will most definitely not be exposed to that."

"Alright, love."

It didn't take long for Raven to decide on a new bedroom scheme: A pale sky blue paint with white trim, leaving the furniture dark and the floor a light wood, and leaving the canopy white. She'd decided that Gar could pick the bedspread. Of course, he chose a dark blue with white sheets and pillows.

Raven rolled her eyes.

"It's simple! He justified.

"I know."

Shyama was still bound to his tree, waiting out this boring sentence. He wondered if they could at least put him to sleep, but he doubted they would if they could. His sister would have to visit him soon. He knew because Amyntas could only seal him for a maximum of a month on his own. Shyama decided there actually _was _a benefit to being a Lord's illegitimate child, no matter how little the benefit was.

He mentally sighed. Just 6 more months to go and it would all be over.

Raven sank into the warm lavender scented bath, letting it ease the tension out of her shoulders. It had been three weeks, and they had just finished the decorating. She'd been seeing Cyborg for regular checkups on the baby, since he was the only one who really had experience with the medical history of the babe's parents, though she hadn't wanted any real information, just to be ensured that it was coming along normally, and they had visited the Titans often. Tomorrow, the Titans would be coming for a pool party. Gar and she hadn't even used the pool for themselves yet, though she knew it had a slide, waterfall, and a volleyball net in it. She hadn't been able to sleep in her own bed for a couple nights, but tonight she was moving from the guest bedroom to the master, and she was happy for it. She moved around a bit in the tub. It was much larger than the one at the Tower, big enough for four or five of her, actually. She decided she didn't ever want to see their water bill now. Between this tub, the hot tub, and the pool, she imagined it was a nightmare of a number to pay. She sighed, sinking just a tad farther into her warm bubble bath, and began to relax. She was dozing off when she felt a body gently slide in behind her, lifting her torso up and laying her back against his chest, placing little gentle kisses along her neck and shoulders before beginning to massage them.

Raven sighed. He always came in at the best of times. "I love you. Have I told you that lately?"

"Yes." Gar smiled a bit.

"Have I said it too much?"

"Nowhere near it. I was afraid you were going to fall asleep in here."

"I was getting close."She smiled, wriggling herself to a more comfortable position in between his legs, feeling something poking her in the back lightly.

"Now isn't the time to be moving around like that if you want to relax," Gar said. "It's been a few weeks, there is a _gorgeous_ naked girl in front of me, and I _am_ a man."

Raven chuckled. "Maybe I don't care." She wriggled around again, this time purposefully against it. Gar leant down to nip her on the shoulder.

"Rae…"

"Gar…" Raven turned, fully awake, a playful smile on her lips, and put her hands on his chest. Straddling his legs, she leaned forward and kissed him. His arms snapped up to wrap around her, his mouth moved with hers. Raven let out a slight moan in the back of her throat. He smiled into the kiss.

"We've never done this in the tub before," he murmured against her lips.

"We've never had a house to ourselves before. There's a first time for everything."

The next morning, Raven was lying against Gar's chest, naked, trailing her fingers in little designs and listening to his heart. "I'm nearly into the second trimester," she whispered to him.

"I know," he murmured. He hadn't wanted to wake up just yet. He could feel the slight bump already against his side. He hadn't expected it, but it was a bit larger than normal. "I can't wait to know!" he muttered.

"Well, we can't tell for another two months," she told him.

"I mean if it's multiples!" he sighed.

"No."

"Fine. You know, Vic could tell _both_ already. We do have access to more than normal supplies. It could be fun!"

"No."

"Why?"

"I want to wait. Please."

Gar sighed. "Alright, but I just can't _wait!"_

"Metaphorically, neither can I. Literally, both of us most certainly can and will."

Gar sighed again. "Well, yes."

Rae got up. "Let's get dressed. We've got three hours before the others are here."

She was just glad she hadn't had morning sickness or anything. She'd only had cravings, lots and lots of cravings for the oddest of foods, like Ramen with peanut butter, which tasted oddly good to her.

Raven had used her one good spell of the day to get everything set up for their party. It had taken a few words and a short moment of lightheadedness, but she had gotten everything done. Watching her afterwards Gar was troubled. She was paler, which he didn't think possible, and she was looking a bit out of place and tired. However, as he was getting up the courage to ask if she was alright, the others arrived.

"Friend Raven!" Star yelled. "You are beginning to display your pregnancy!"

Raven laughed. "Yeah, it wasn't by choice, Star."

"I know. Cyborg has done the explaining of the human pregnancy cycle to me. It is rather odd."

Raven laughed. She was in a one piece bathing suit, dark blue, with a towel tied around her hips, Gar was in green and white trunks. Cyborg wasn't wearing anything, Robin was wearing red trunks, no mask, and a t-shirt, and Star was wearing a bright pink string bikini. Robin's eyes, of course, were focused on her barely clad ass.

They had fun, food, and quite a bit of music. Titans East was covering the entire city. They didn't know how they were going to handle it when the wedding took place, with the entire city's super natural defenses gone.

At around midnight, the Titans went home. Gar and Raven went upstairs, washed off the chlorine, and passed out in bed, sighing "I love you," before slipping into dream land.

**A/N: Short but better than what I had been updating before this week, which was absolutely nothing. :/**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: I'd like to thank New york Mike and The Cretin for their reviews. You guys are amazing, if may be so bold. **

**Chapter 9**

When Raven woke up early the next morning, she knew something was wrong. There was no warm, firm body snuggled into her side. He'd used a pillow to keep her from waking up. The house was deathly quiet, and it was early, six a.m. at the latest. Gar never woke up that early without cause in her experience. Raven slid out of bed, trying to be quiet as she began to walk over the floor to look for her fiancé. Deciding it'd be best that, if he was in trouble, she had at least a spell in her, she decided not to levitate. She'd lose some of her sneaking ability, but she thought that would be better.

Raven went down the stairs slowly. She could feel the demon half of her body awakening, sharpening her senses, and there in case she needed anything. She hardly ever used the boost of power her demon half afforded her, and she'd never consciously used it. She could smell that there was someone else in the house. She could also smell that Garfield had lost it. The beasts claws had left gouges at the foot of the stairs. Those tiles would have to be replaced, as would the wood of the stairs. Mentally, she berated herself. _This isn't the time to be worrying over how the damn house looks!_ She followed the trail of scratches toward the front door and gasped. How had she slept through this? The front door was lying all over the front lawn in splinters, the door frame was cracked. Changeling lay among the splinters, pretty beaten up but, thankfully, still breathing. Around him were three common burglars, accompanied by two pistols, one shotgun, a few bags, and a few crowbars. Standing off to the side, freshly arrived, was Amyntas.

"Holy shit…" Raven murmured.

Amyntas cocked an eyebrow at her. "Why would feces help the situation, lady?"

Raven sighed. "Never mind."

She went over to the burglars to check them over. All were still breathing. Relieved, she went to go kneel next to Gar. She trailed her fingers through his hair, and down his back and gasped. Her fingers were dark, red, and sticky. There were holes coming through his rib cage, close to his spine. He was bleeding. He had been shot. Without her realizing it, she began to growl, her eyes blazed red and each split into two, and fangs dropped down into her mouth. Amyntas grabbed her shoulder.

"Lady, stop it!" Amyntas hissed.

She shrugged his hand and turned toward the burglars. "You fuckers."

"Damn it, Raven, stop!" Amyntas tackled her. He collided with her and sent her onto her back, landing on top of her. She closed her eyes. When she opened them again, they were violet, tear filled, and shocked.

Slowly, a small smile spread across her face. "You called me Raven."

Amyntas rolled his eyes. "Of course, that would be the one thing you notice, Lady."

"You never called me that. Even as a child."

"We must call the authorities."

The situation caught up with Raven. Dark energy came and threw the male off of her. She ran into the house and nearly ripped the cordless phone off its cradle. Her fingers shook, but were fast and true as she dialed 911.

"911 Operator. Please state your emergency," came a voice over the phone.

"Someone tried breaking into my house, and I slept through it. My fiancé didn't, and he went after the burglars. They're just unconscious, not really hurt, but my fiancé… Gar was shot. More than once. I don't know when. I don't know how I slept through it. Please… Come now."

The woman's voice was less bored as she replied. "The police are on their way, ma'am. As is an ambulance. Stay on the line until they arrive. Alright?"

Raven nodded, but reached toward the counter. She picked up her Titans Communicator and sent out a message. "Gar has been shot. Burglars. Police on the way." She didn't think they would wake up. There wasn't an alarm for this kind of thing. It was only a message. She just wanted them to know.

Raven walked back outside and sank down next to Gar. She kept her ear to the phone, but pulled him slightly into her lap. She didn't know if they would be angry that she moved her.. She knew better than to panic, or start to cry. Her emotions would send everything about her powers haywire. It took five minutes for the team to arrive, against her expectations. Nightwing handcuffed the burglars and stacked them in the driveway. Star and Cyborg checked the area for any more. That took about five minutes. They were about to take Gar to the hospital themselves when the flashing lights appeared at the end of the street.

They helped get Gar onto the stretcher, and Raven hopped into the ambulance. Her eyes were wide and scared.

"Rae, we'll meet you at the hospital, okay?" Cyborg was leaning into ambulance so he could look her in the eyes. The E.M.T.s were lifting Gar into the back. She nodded.

The trip to the hospital was terrifying for Raven. She couldn't heal him, she was too drained. So she was trapped in a contraption that reeked of death, looking at the face of the man she loved, while a few people moved around to make sure he stayed alive.

When they arrived at the hospital, Raven knew the shock was setting in. She felt dead. She'd _been_ dead before, but this felt worse, like her body was there, she was there, but there was no connection. She followed the gurney numbly, and just stood outside the O.R. doors when the nurse and surgeon shouted at her that she couldn't come in. Soon, Starfire arrived, and grabbed Raven by her arm and led her away. The team was in a waiting room. Star sat her down in an uncomfortable, padded plastic chair there.

The Titans just stared at her. A painful, sad silence ensued. Not awkward, per se. They all were trying to reassemble their thoughts after the events of the past hour or so. Nightwing eventually knelt at her feet so that he could meet Raven's eyes.

His mask was gone. He was in his pajamas. For the first time, Raven looked at her teammates. They had obviously all just jumped out of bed without caring about their clothing. They were worried about their friend. Then the tears began. Raven's chin hit her chest again. She began to sob, her eyes clenched tight. Nightwing put his hand on top of her clenched ones.

"Raven, he'll make it through this. We are here. The Titans East are covering the town for the next couple of days, and a few of the Honararies came in," Nightwing's voice was low, soothing.

"We got ya, Rae. Everything will be fine," Cyborg sounded down.

Starfire was crying, and said nothing, but she nodded her head so hard that Raven could feel it, and the chair next to hers bumped into the wall with enough force that Raven was sure it would leave a dent.

Raven nodded. "I know. It doesn't make this any easier at all."

"Easy, Raven? None of us are taking this easy. None of us took the pregnancy thing, or the wedding thing easy," Nightwing was in boss mode now. "I spent the past few weeks angry, scrambling to find a way to make it, beating punks and training dummies to within an inch of their lives. Star has been eating NORMAL food. Cy's been locked in his room. None of this has been easy, but we'll make it through it, because we're a team. We're a family, and you're all the best friends I've ever had."

Raven felt a pang in her chest, but she raised her eyes to meet Nightwing's blue ones. "I know."

It took about an hour and a half for Gar to be out of surgery. They pushed the hospital bed through the halls, Raven following, up to the right floor and wing. They had him hooked up to all sorts of monitors. They were told that only one person could go in at a time, and that only family could stay longer than an hour.

"We don't want him stressed," the doctor told Raven as she tried to slide past him.

"I'm his fiancée," she hissed. She refused to cry in front of this man.

"You aren't married yet. I'm sorry."

The others went in first, to say hi to a man they weren't sure could hear them, and then went down the hall to wait for Raven to finish her hour's worth of visitation. It felt too soon when Raven joined them, angry and worried. "They said that the unconsciousness could be from a mix of trauma and his shift to the Beast. They said that he'll probably be in a coma for a few days, but if he makes it through the night, he should make it for a long time."

"Where exactly did the bullets hit, Rae?" Cyborg's voice was careful.

Raven exhaled. "One barely missed his heart. That's the worrisome one. The others… arm, leg, right shoulder. There was another that hit him on the right side of his chest, but they say that it went clean through. Didn't even hit his shoulder blade. He must have been the beast when that one hit. The one that was meant for his heart went through his lung and caught on the shoulder blade."

Everyone was silent a moment. Nightwing sighed. "Well…shit. Years as a hero, we never have anyone get shot. About a month as a civilian and here we are."

Silently, the others agreed.

"Let's go get breakfast and coffee," Cyborg suggested.

"Then we may begin taking the shifts as to who stays and watches and who sleeps," Starfire continued.

Nightwing nodded. He grabbed Raven by the hand. "Come on. We'll be back soon. The doctors know to call if there are any changes."


End file.
